The architect was inspired to build such unusual houses by the landscape of the island - one of the main natural attractions of South Korea. The hilly relief of volcanic origin and countless placers of black porous lava fragments impressed Kengo Kuma so much that he, in his own words, was just waiting for an opportunity to retell this beauty in the language of architecture. Such a case presented itself in 2009, when Lotte Jeju Resort ordered him to build a small village of villas for rent.
In an effort to resemble the boulder hills typical of Jeju, Kengo Kuma designed one-story volumes with rounded roofs, with individual slopes reaching down to the ground. All roofs are made of wood, the cells of which are filled with stones. In order to reduce the load on the supporting structures, Kuma favors complex, rugged plans, effectively splitting each house into several almost independent volumes.
Some of the load-bearing walls are made of the same volcanic stone: they bear the bulk of the roof; wood and glass were also used for the enclosing structures. Large-scale glazing allows you to fill the villas with daylight and make the border between the home and the surrounding landscape almost arbitrary.
A. M.
